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T Drill Question

Hello, I had a question about the T drill. Yesterday was our first day running a full T drill.

We had a problem come up. My dog sliped the whistle on the way to the back pile. Once I lined him up and sent him there was no stopping him at the apex. After a few attempts I packed it up and called it.

He does sit on a whistle....just not once he has locked onto the back pile.

Shorten it up so he doesn't get a lot of momentum built up, use a check cord and have the dog facing you on the send......then slowly start lengthing it out................remember to not stop him everytime you send........teach and build...........

I had problems with my dog blowing me off at the end of blinds and not sitting. He was wanting to hunt up the bumper on his own.

I went back to pile work. Started letting him get almost all the way to the pile, then blew the sit whistle. If he blew me off, I yelled no, TOOT after he had the bumper. He would sit, and then I'd walk all the way out, take the bumper away, put him back to the spot where I'd blown the whistle that he blew off (giving him a SIT-Stick-SIT), walked all the way back to the line, and casted him to the pile. I continued until I got a few good sits in a row, then called it - giving lots of praise. After a few sessions of this, he stopped slipping my whistles on blinds...

So I guess I'm saying, if he's blowing you off on T, back up and reinforce the sit with just a pile. I tried the Toot-nick-Toot. Didn't seem to make a lasting impression. But me walking out and sticking him sure did.

This is also how I finally had success with cast refusals on blinds. I had to walk out and get up close and personal. If I gave an over and got a back a second time after trying attrition, I would sit him, walk out, bring him back to the original spot where he gave the refusal, gave a sit-stick, tossed a bumper in the direction of the over he refused, gave an over and had him pick up the bumper. Then I'd sit him, walk back to the line and give the same over. The refusals dropped off dramatically with significantly fewer corrections that I'd have had to give using the collar.

On another dog, who knows...

Last edited by Buzz; 02-20-2008 at 05:31 PM.

"For everyone to whom much is given, of him shall much be required." -- Luke 12:48

Don't get in too big a hurry to force him through a pop. One pop usually only indicates a bit of confusion, or anticipation of being handled. It's likely he'll work it out during the drill.

If it becomes repeated, then of course you'll need to show him it isn't acceptable through forcing. And "Yes", it's "Back" - nick - "Back" when you do.

Evan

"Prepare your dog in such a manner that the work he is normally called upon to do under-whelms him, not overwhelms him." ~ Evan Graham“People who say it cannot be done should not interrupt those who are doing it.”